simple style from spanish baby clothing co.

Something traditional and not of the norm isn’t something that I step outside the box and try.  This time I did.  And something we should all do, whether it be with clothes, life or food.  Spanish baby clothing isn’t something you see around much these days. I am talking real authentic clothing.  Super cute  eyelet lace, rompers and dresses.  If you follow on Instagram, you will have seen a sneak peek of these last week or so!

The Spanish Baby Clothing Company is passionate about traditional Spanish baby clothing. All clothes are handcrafted under the tutelage of their lovely creative director, Maria Elena, out of Arcos de la Frontera, Spain – a small town along the famed “Ruta de los Pueblos Blancos” (White Hill Towns) well known for its impeccably dressed babies and toddlers. They manage a pretty hectic social schedule, with popular celebrations Feria, Semana Santa, a friend’s christening celebration, or the everyday play date!

When Ray, from Spanish Baby Clothing Company, emailed me to get featured and get the word out about their line, I knew I had to help out. I was sent the Palencia and the Huesca,  to try on my daughter.  These two outfits were simply adorable on my daughter. I just love the tiny details all the way to the style of each of these. I’m kinda going to let the pictures do the talking because they are too precious for words.

On the Palencia it has a fine line ribbed surface (cotton pique) and two columns with rounded stitching and over-under blue ribbon in sync with raised white circles. A thick blue ribbon acts like a large, electrically-charged cherry across the elastic waistline for a snug and cozy fit.
The Huesca features engraved diamond shaped patterns on cotton pique, with embroidered flowers and left in straight formation across the rounder collars and hemline. Pink pops with two slim ribbons down the shoulders.


I love the simple traditional style of these two pieces. I, also, love that they are handmade in spain.  What a wonderful fun gift these would make for any baby!  You have to check out the other adorable styles Spanish Baby Clothing carries!

What is your favorite style from Spanish Baby Clothing?  Do you love the more traditional style of their clothing?

piczillas :: think outside the frame {coupon}

Can you imagine if you could bring your photos to life?  I can and did!  I was given the opportunity to review a Piczillas. What is it you ask?  It is more then just custom wall decals, they are fun and unique decals that you can get created how every you want.  Imagine your favorite photo being printed and then brought to life in the form of a 5' wall decal.

I ordered a large photo of my family and couldn't wait to see what it was going to look like.  I was a little unsure of where I was going to be able to put such a large wall decal, but I moved around some other photos to make it fit perfectly in my living room.  IT is simply gorgeous.  When I received it, I could not believe the quality of this wall decal.  When ordering (which btw is super easy) you have the option of getting a subject cut out or leaving the background. I didn't have the perfect image to get cutout so I chose to leave the background.  After removing the PicZillas from the packaging I was so excited I had to put it immediately.  It was really easy to make sure that it was straight and then I stuck the top down and started peeling the backing off and pressing it down.  The Piczillas was very easy to apply to the wall.

 I just love how life like this wall decal is.  I can't help but stare at it when walking into the living room.  With being a photographer, I wanted to make sure the quality of the image was going to be fantastic with an image being so big. I was very impressed with how it looked! I couldn't believe how awesome it looks on my wall. See for yourself!!  The biggest problem I had was selecting photo to use for it.  It was a huge decision because I could have used so many different ones.

It was so great working with the gentleman at PicZillas.  I will hopefully be offering these to my clients in the near future.  These start at $59.99 for a Small 3' tall wall decal all the way up to Jumbo at 6' tall.

PicZillas Large custom wall decal :: $99.99

A SIMPLE COUPON!
You know you want one of these.  So here is an awesome deal for all our simple readers. You can save $20 off a Large Custom Wall Decal at PicZillas by using the code simple20!

You can also connect with PicZillas on Facebook and Twitter.


*I was provided with a Large Piczilla to conduct this review. These opinions are my own!*

simple's wordpress move...

Our Wordpress move will begin today, so if there is any downtime, please forgive us!!

Look for our new look soon!

great lakes shirts :: just the lakes

For all you Great Lakes lovers Great Lakes Shirts is a fantastic find. I came across them on Facebook when a friend of mine had one of their t-shirts tagged in a picture. I LOVED the simplicity of the shirts and how crisp the screenprinting looked.

Here's what Great Lakes Shirts have to say about their shirts: These shirts have nothing but an outline of the Great Lakes on them. No promo for your friend's indie band. No logos. No cities, states, or any other political boundaries in the design. Just the lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. No explanation.

It's just that simple.

As soon as my Pink Girl Fit T-Shirt showed up I noticed what an excellent quality t-shirt was used. The cotton is thick and I know from past experience with shirts of this type that it is going to hold up well with regular washing and wear. I also have to mention how excited I am with the quality of ink used for screenprinting by Great Lakes Shirts! I've washed and worn the shirt twice now and the ink hasn't cracked at all. This is pretty significant since a lot of screenprinted shirts tend to crack very badly the first time you wash them.

Sorry I couldn't do a self-portrait of the Girl Fit T-Shirt in use, but you've all see a similiar style before so use your imagination... ;) These Girl Fit T-Shirts tend to run on the small size so I'd recommend ordering a size up to accomodate this as well as the fact that the shirt is cotton and will shrink slightly with washing.

Girl Fit T-Shirt :: $20-$30

A SIMPLE COUPON!
Through August 31, 2011 use the coupon code SIMPLE to get 10% off any purchases from Great Lakes Shirts. You can even outfit the whole family because besides for the Unisex T-Shirts and Girl Fit T-Shirts for the adults, Great Lakes Shirts has Kids and Youth sized shirts as well as Onsies!

*I received product to facilitate this review and promotion. The opinions expressed are my own.*

dry case :: waterproof vacuum seal

Water is frequently a part of our summer day, whether it be at the pool, out on the lake, or from just watching the kids jump through the sprinkler.  For a lot of reasons, including some safety related ones, I like to have my phone handy wherever we are even if it is near water.  But being around water so much was making me a bit nervous about the potential disastrous combination of my children and my phone.

Enter Dry Case.  The Dry Case Waterproof phone, camera and music player case is my iPhone's new BFF.  I just put my phone in the Dry Case, hooked up the Headphone & Microphone port, locked the top, and then pumped the air out.  The touchscreen still works thorough the plastic and the investment otherwise known as my iPhone is safely protected from water damage.

Here's a nifty photo to show all the features and parts that come with the Dry Case.

It's good to note that if you want to use your phone to make calls or to listen to music while it's sealed in the Dry Case you will need to hook up some headphones to the Headphone & Microphone Port.  And just because it's waterproof doesn't mean it floats.  Use the provided Lanyard and/or Buoyant Neoprene Armband to keep your expensive electronics from sinking (test the armband for buoyancy with each device).

To show you just how much I trusted the seal on my Dry Case look at the photo to the left.  That is my actual iPhone, my calendar/only phone/to-do list/shopping list/etc.  in the hands of my 3 year old while she was swimming in the pool.  If I didn't trust the seal on my Dry Case to have held there is no way I would have ever tested it out like that...

Waterproof phone, camera and music player case :: $39.99

*I received product to facilitate this review and promotion. The opinions expressed are my own.*

keep :: shoes {giveaway}

Shoes are the ultimate accessory in my book -- this is probably why I continue to amass a collection of them (rarely letting any go). So it was with no surprise that I started looking at children's shoes before my son was even out of the womb. While in the olden days (1970's and 80's) children's shoes came in one color (white) and looked down right therapeutic, today we are lucky to have an abundant choice when it comes to adorning the tiny toes in our homes. And, even luckier still, Keep Company entered the market to make sure those toes are truly stylin'.

Keep is a shoe company that lives by their tagline, "We aim to keep things personal." They do this by working with the people they love, respecting the work they do and paying attention to the details. In this vein of living by their work, Keep also remains cruelty free in all of their products -- never a bad thing.

Knowing I can stand behind the company is great, but the shoes themselves are what make Keep awesome. The moment they arrived in their sturdy cardboard box I knew I would love the shoes. The construction of the shoes is top notch. Every detail is paid attention so that each shoe is well crafted out of quality materials -- the kind of shoe you want to put on your child's foot, the kind of shoe that lasts.

And remember, I think shoes function as amazing accessories. These Keep "accessories" do not disappoint. I had a difficult time deciding which style to choose for my son. Hipster, skater, preppy, urban, classic -- you name a style and Keep has a shoe to fit. The Benten, the style I ultimately chose, is the perfect mix of preppy classic and modern hipster. It's the ultimate boat shoe with perfect little details like lacing along the side and a whipstitch along the toe. And the pattern, Starry Night, is a very cool Japanese print -- every print they offer is this cool.

My son loves wearing them (and can even help get them on and off with the easy Velcro closure). And I love looking at them on his feet. In the new atmosphere of plentiful children's shoe choices Keep shines like a star.

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY!

One SIMPLE reader will win a pair of KEEP kids' shoes from the Benten, Ramos or Guerra collections. Make sure you let us know about each entry in a separate comment below. Here is how to enter:

• Check out KEEP and come back here telling me which product you think will be great for your child! (Required)
• "Like" KEEP on Facebook
• Follow KEEP Company on Twitter
• Facebook :: Daily - Leave a link :: Post a status on your facebook hyper linking SIMPLE and KEEP and this giveaway
• Twitter :: Daily - Leave a link :: Stylin' kids kicks #win from @keepcompany at @simplereviews! http://tinyurl.com/3ve8kpc #contest #giveaway RT
• "Like" this review on Facebook below
• Sign up for our daily emails
  
• Publicly follow SIMPLE via Google Friend Connect

Winner will be randomly chosen on July 20, 2011. Please reference Giveaway Rules at the top of the page before entering. Good luck!

*I received KEEP Benten shoes to facilitate this review and promotion. The opinions expressed are my own.*

medela :: freestyle breastpump

Before I had my first son, I knew I wanted to breastfeed. I was really committed to doing everything to make it work. I invested in a Medela Pump In Style breastpump, and was so thankful to have it!


This time around, I am taking pumping to the next level...with the Medela Freestyle pump. (*insert cheering here*) My other Medela pump was awesome throughout breastfeeding my first two kids for a year each...and it certainly would have done just as well for baby #3. But I had the opportunity to test out the Freestyle pump, and I have to say its a big upgrade! Medela has become a brand I trust after using two of their pumps, all their accessories, and many of their other products. AND? They have phenomenal customer service.


Did you know that the Freestyle pump offers a hands-free option? Oh yes they do! The pump itself fits in the palm of your hand. With a charged up battery, you can go "wireless" with it by hooking it to your pants or belt. The straps (shown to the right) can attach to almost any nursing bra and holds the breastshields/bottles in place for true hands-free pumping! This is perfect for someone like me who still has two toddlers to care for while pumping. One of my friends told me she used this while driving home from work. HA!!


There are so many great things about the Medela Freestyle breastpump, which you can read in detail here. Let me highlight for you some of my favorite features:

• The flexibility! I like being able to roam around the house while I pump or sit without having to be "plugged in". (or return emails and facebook while pumping, *ahem*)
  
• The Expression technology - I was a little worried this wouldn't "suck" as well as my other Medela pump, but its just as good if not better!
• That there's a timer on the pump. (it's the little things...)
• That each Medela pump comes with everything you need for successful pumping, whether you just need it for home use or to take to work, etc. They think of everything!
• Like I said before, Medela's customer service is top notch. They stand behind their products and have super friendly people.

To sum it up, I'm crazy about Medela products and highly recommend them to everyone. It is so worth the investment to get a nice pump - especially if you plan to breastfeed for an extended period of time and/or through multiple children. My hospital charges $80 a month to rent a pump, ouch! You cannot go wrong with a Medela breastpump, and I can equally recommend the Pump In Style or the Freestyle. But the Freestyle obviously has more "bells and whistles" that can make your pumping experience easier and more enjoyable.


Medela Freestyle Breastpump :: $379.99


Join Medela on Facebook and Twitter for breastfeeding tips, advice, encouragement, and to share stories!




*I was provided the Medela Freestyle
Breastpump in order to conduct this
review. The opinions shared here
are my own.*

smartklean :: laundry ball {giveaway}

We are continually looking for ways to reduce our affect on the environment while also reducing our environment’s effects on us. I try to be aware of the hundreds of chemicals and toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis and by their very use are introduced into our eco-system. While keeping a watchful eye for products that do just that, I was introduced to the SmartKlean Laundry Ball. 

The SmartKlean Laundry Ball is a scientfic breakthrough in the realm of laundry cleaning - it is a 100% toxin-free alternative to laundry detergents, soap, fabric softeners and dryer sheets developed with an innovative cleaning technology.

cute & comfy cushionknee :: knee pads {giveaway}

Do you kneel when you are bathing your children?  Do you hate sitting on hard bleachers while watching your child's sporting event?  If so, I can help you.  I introduce you to cute & comfy cushionknee!  They are fantastic pads that you can use for kneeling while bathing your kids, sitting on, and even using for exercise.

These covers are sewn by hand in fun prints and fashionable colors.  I love the fact that you can remove it and wash it.

happy 4th of july!!

We hope you are having a fabulous 4th of July to all you celebrating here in the USA!

May this day bring you sunshine, happiness, great times with your family and friends, time to think about how blessed we are to live in this wonderful country and lots of FOOD!! :)

See you this week with many new reviews and giveaways!!